Breakdown of Meine Verwandtschaft freut sich auf das Familientreffen im Dezember.
in
in
dem
the; (masculine or neuter, dative)
mein
my
das
the; (neuter, accusative)
Questions & Answers about Meine Verwandtschaft freut sich auf das Familientreffen im Dezember.
Why is it meine Verwandtschaft freut sich and not meine Verwandtschaft freuen sich?
Because Verwandtschaft is a singular noun in German.
Even though it refers to a group of relatives, it works grammatically like a singular collective noun, similar to my family in English. So the verb must also be singular:
- die Verwandtschaft freut sich = the relatives / the extended family are looking forward to it
- not die Verwandtschaft freuen sich
If you used meine Verwandten instead, that would be plural, and then you would say:
- Meine Verwandten freuen sich ...
What exactly does Verwandtschaft mean?
Verwandtschaft usually means relatives, extended family, or kin as a group.
It is not exactly the same as Familie:
- Familie often means your immediate family, or family in a general sense
- Verwandtschaft focuses more specifically on people related by blood or marriage
So meine Verwandtschaft suggests my relatives / my extended family.
Why is there a sich in freut sich?